Pompeo says attack was 'act of war' on Saudi Arabia, seeks coalition

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo walks after stepping off his plane upon arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, September 18, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - The United States wants to build a coalition of European and Arab partners to deter Iran after an attack on Saudi Arabia that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described on Wednesday as "an act of war" against the world's top oil exporter.

"This is an attack of a scale we’ve just not seen before," Pompeo told reporters travelling with him before landing in the Saudi city of Jeddah for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “The Saudis were the nation that were attacked. It was on their soil. It was an act of war against them directly."